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Meet Patricia Gunn

Patricia Gunn enjoys taking walks with her husband, floating in her pool and driving her vintage Mustang – anything to be active - so it’s no surprise she wasn’t a fan of sitting behind a desk when it came to working. Instead, for more than 20 years, Patricia worked a variety of physical jobs—everything from landscaper to stock clerk to part-time photographer.

In her late 40s, however, the physical work began to take a toll on her body. She started out having the normal aches and pains that come with aging, but it turned into something much more serious—chronic joint pain. The pain started interfering with her ability to work and do things with her family. She decided it was time to see her family physician, Dr. Jeffrey Sharp.

When Patricia came to me about her severe joint pain and told me how long she had been struggling, I knew right away she needed to see an orthopedic specialist. I referred her to Bothwell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. I know the physicians there well and trust them to take great care of my patients—they have been practicing in Sedalia for more than 30 years."- Dr. Jeffrey Sharp

Patricia made an appointment with Dr. Douglas Kiburz and it didn’t take him long to determine she had degenerative arthritis, also known as bone-on-bone arthritis. It’s extremely painful.

Her condition ultimately resulted in her having four different orthopedic surgeries in seven years—all at Bothwell. Her first surgery was for carpal tunnel, followed by knee surgery, then shoulder surgery. Patricia thought she was through the worst of it, but then the pain started in her hip.

“I was in a lot of hip pain for two years and it finally got to the point where walking was becoming very difficult. I could feel something would catch when I was walking and I came close to falling several times. After a while, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I knew it was time for a hip replacement—and I knew I wanted Dr. Kiburz to perform the surgery.”

Patricia is atypical because she’s in her early 50s. Most of my patients are in their 70s and 80s. But regardless of how young or old you are, pain is what wears people down. When you get to the point where you can’t sleep, you can’t get in your car, you can’t go up the bleachers to see your grandkids play ball, life isn’t a lot of fun. That’s when people usually decide to have surgery, when the pain is interrupting their daily lives." - Dr. Douglas Kiburz

Bothwell was one of the first hospitals in the country to implement a Total Joint Camp, an innovative program which helps patients prepare for surgery and physical therapy. The Bothwell Joint Camp has been in place for more than 10 years.

What a lot of people don’t realize about orthopedic procedures is there is a lot that goes into them - not just the surgery. There’s the pre-operative evaluation, then surgery, and physical therapy. Bothwell can provide all those things.”- Dr. Jeffrey Sharp

It wasn’t that many years ago when a hip replacement meant spending weeks in the hospital. Today, most people start a rehabilitation program the day after surgery and are back home in a matter of days.

Patricia was one of those patients. She started physical therapy exercises in the hospital and slept in her own bed two days after surgery. She is back to walking with her husband, floating in her pool and driving her vintage Mustang.

“I could have gone anywhere for my orthopedic surgeries, but I chose Dr. Kiburz at Bothwell. He changed my life. He gave me the ability to be mobile again without pain. “

Bothwell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Physicians

We have a great team that works together and that’s how the joint camp works. Orthopedic surgery is a team effort, from the operating room crew, the recovery team, the physical therapists, occupational therapists, the nurses, nutritionist and volunteers, it takes all of us.”

Dr. Douglas Kiburz is an orthopedic surgeon at Bothwell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Kiburz attended medical school at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, completing his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas. Kiburz also completed a fellowship in hand and sports medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and a fellowship in arthroscopy at the Orthopaedic Research of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.

The technological advancements in orthopedic surgeries have allowed surgeons to offer less invasive procedures to our patients. It is great for patients because it often leads to shorter surgery times, less time under anesthesia, and quicker recoveries.”